Improved car-coupling



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. Car ,I Copling.. y A NQ. 100,173. Patented Feb. 22, j17o.

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EDWARD T. MCKEAN, or HAMMoivroN, NEW JERSEY.

Letters Patent No. 100,173, dated February 22, 1870.

IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

The Schedule referred t in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

attached to a railway-car.,

Figure 2 is a verticalcross-section of the car-coupy lingon the line x xof tig. 1. v

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same on the line y yof fig. l.

lFigure 4 is a side View of the draw-bar with a broken vertical sectionof the jaw, showing its interior with the draw-rod in position. Figure 5is the device for disconnectingr the drawrod from the draw-bar.

Like letters of like kind represent like parts in each figure.

i:The object of this invention is the construction of Aa car-coupling bywhich railway-cars will be self-coupling, not only on a straight track,but upon a curve, withoutany dangerous exposure to the brakeman', andmay be instantly uncoupled by a pressure of the foot.

And the nature of the invention consists in a drawbar madein two partspivoted together, the front end of which has a jaw for the reception ofthe draw-rod, while the rear ends are provided with springs which serveto keep the jaw closed; in the peculiar form of the interior'of the jaw;in the devices by which the jaw is opened and the draw-rod released; inthe-novel construction of the bumper and its longitudinal adjustability;in the vertical adjustability of the bumper; and inthe generalarrangement of its several parts.

In the drawings- A represents the platform or end of the bottom framecfa railway-car, the under side of which is shown in tig. l, to whichunder side the coupling is attached.

B is a bumper-head, of an elliptical form on its front presentation,with its shortest axis in vertical position, and of suitable thicknessfrom front to rear. rlhis bumper-head has in its center an opening,funnelshaped both in front and in therear, with the large part outward,but much' more flaring in front than in the rear, and projects when inposition a suitable distance in front ofthe end of the frame A.

Guide-rods C, the forward ends of which, provided with screw-threads,pass through the bumper-head, which is provided with correspondingscrew-threads, extend back in parallel lines under the platform A. Theserods pass throughslotted boxes, D, rigidly secured to the under side ofthe li'ont sill of the frame A, and through the boxes E rigidly securedto-the under side ofl a cross-sill of said platform A, and terminate inheads outside of said boxes E.

'lhe slotted boxes D have their openings in a verticaldirection,allowing a vertical play or the guide.- rods within them.

Directly behind the slotted boxes .D is a yoke, F, with the `armsdownward, through each of which the guide-rods C pass, the center ofwhich yoke is provided with a hook, which passes under the center of theelliptic spring G and operates it.

This elliptic spring G extends across the bottom 'o'f the frame A, closeto its end, and the ends of saidspring are secured to the side sills ofsaid frame.

The draw-bar H, having its front end nearly coincident with the front ofthe frame A, is placed directly between the guide-rods C and equidistautfrom them, with its center longitudinally in a line with the centerlongitudinally of said guide-rods. This draw-bar is made of two parts,halved into and crossing each other, arranged vertically one above theother and pivoted together at their intersection, so as to allow of asimultaneous vertical separation or closing `of the ends. The front of-this'draw-bar forms a jaw, a, which is provided in its central frontend with a mouth, b, ilaring outwardly, which mouth connects with athroat, c,

, also in the longitudinal center of said jaw, which throat is of theshape `of the frustum of a cone longitudinally, with the larger endforward and the smaller end to the rear. The diameter of this throatbeing larger than the opening from the mouth into the throat, ashoulder, d, is left in the throat all around said opening.V Upon 'theupper 'and lower sides of the draw-bar are elliptic springs, e, rigidlysecured at one end to the draw-bar near its front end, and pressing uponthe rear ends of said draw-bar, so as to keep the jaw a closed.

' The rear ends 'b' of the draw-bar are somewhat separated, and theextremity of each is pivoted to allink, J, which is in turupivoted uponthe connecting-bar g of the rear cross-head K, on either side of a hook,h, to which .in turn is attached one end of a chain, lr,

'which-passes along by the side ofthe draw-bar t'orward, Aand isattached at its other end to a lever, L.

This lever rises vertically from a roller, M, which is suitably pivotedin boxes rigidly secured to the under side of the platform A.

At right angles with said lover L, a lever, N, is secured. to saidroller, auth-passing toward the rearris `Apivoted to another lever, O,-which passes up through the platform, and is there provided with a head,P.

The cross-head K, before mentioned, consists of two sleeves, m, whichplay freely upon4 the guide-rods C', and are joined together by theconnecting-bar y. A similar cross-head, K', plays freely upon theguide-rods (l nearer their front, and its connecting-bar g passes withthis device.

in uncoupling.

baid slotted boxes D and the bumper-head B, also'protected atV the rearend by suitable washers.

A draw-rod, S, of suitable length, provided at each end with a head, n,of the form of the frustum of a cone, with the smaller part of said headoutward, and4 l so much larger than the body of the rod that a shoulder,o, is left behind each head. This head and shoulder will be of suchshape and size as to be readily inclosed and held in the throat c of thedraw-bar H.

The method of operating my device is as follows:

The coupling,r being attached to two cars, in one of them the draw-rodwill be in position, one end of it being held in the jaw of one of thedraw-bars, and the whole rod pointing forward and alittle downward. Asthe other car approaches almost to the point of contact, the free end ofthe draw-rod will enter through the bumper-head of the other car andinto the jaw behind the bumper-head, open said jaw by its peculiarshaped head, and be immediately secured therein by the action ofthesprings upon the rear end of the draw-bar. The brakeman, by pressureupon the leverhead P within convenient reach of his foot, releases theend of the draw-rod attaehedto the draw-bar of his car.

Among the advantages of this device are the fol# lowing, viz:

Security of life and limb to the brakeman, who need not get between thecars for any purpose connect-ed Self-adjustability, which will takeplace even ou a curve, if the cars are brought suiciently near, byreason of the Haring mouths of the bumper-head and of the draw-bars.Comfort to passengers and avoidanceof shocks by the use of springs, andthe support of the draw-bars upon cross-head moving in guide-rods.-Great convenience and speed Security of draught while the cars are inmotion, the jaw holding the head of the draw-rod tightly, and yetadmitting, by its exibility of position, considerable play vertically,and a little laterally.

In addition, it is believed that this coupling gives security to thelives of passengers, by reasonof the inclination of the draw-rod todisengage itself upon any violent and large lateral motion, as of a carquitting the track.

,Having thus fully described my device and set forth its merits, WhatIelaim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In railway-car couplings, attaching the bumper-head to parallelguide-rods `which extend longitudinally under the car bottom' and playin boxes at either end of said guide-rods, the boxes at the front endsof v-said rods being deeply slotted, so as `to allow a vertical movementof the front ends of said rods. Also, the combination of the bumper-headB, the guide-rods O playing vertically in the slotted boxesD, and thespring G for regulating the vertical movement of the bumper-head, as setforth. i.

Also, the combination of the bumper-head B, the guide-rods C playingvertically in the slotted boxes D, the -draw-bar H, the connecting-barg', and cross-head K', for the purpose of a vertical, simultaneous, andcoincidentmovement of the said draw-bar and bumperhead, as set forth.

Also, the combination of the draw-bar H,Athe crossheads K and K',theconnecting-bars g and g', and the guide-rods O, for the purpose ofahorizontal independent movement of said draw-bar, asset forth.

Also, the combination of '-the bumper-head B, the guide-rods C, theboxes D and E, for the purpose of a horizontal independent movement ofsaid bumperhead, as set forth.

Also, pivoting the draw-bar upon the connecting-bar of a cross-head,substantially as set forth.

Also, the draw-bar H, substantially constructed, ar-

ranged, aud operating as above set forth. Also, the devices by which thedraw-rod S is released, consisting of the links J, the hook 71thc chaink, the levers L and N, and roller M, when constructed and operating asset forth.

Also, the bumper-head B, provided with the guiderods C, in combinationwith the draw-har H, when constructed, arranged, and operatingsubstantially as s et forth. y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my handthis 15th day of October, 41869.

EDWD. T. MCKEAN.

Witnesses:

W. SAMSON, GEORGE F. SAXTON.

